If you’ve been reading these tales, you’re familiar with Ninja vs. Samurai, a game that we play pretty much all the time. The goal of the game is simply to sneak up on someone and shout “Ninja!” If you surprise them, you get a point. If they spot you sneaking up, they shout “Samurai!” to get the point.

The other day, I had a fantastic Ninja opportunity. My youngest was standing in the kitchen and looking at a comic book. I snuck up behind him, raised my hands high over my head, drew in a deep breath to shout Ninja – and he turned around.

His eyes met mine and he started to giggle uncontrollably. “You look so funny! What were you doing? Was it like a vampire thing?”

“Nin-”

“Samurai!” he shouted.

Defeated, I slunk back up to my office.

Yesterday, unfortunately, was a work day for me. After church, the boys went out shopping with their Momma and a friend (hi Leilani!). When they returned home, I trotted downstairs to say hello.

My wife and Leilani were standing in the kitchen talking.

“Hey,” I said. “Where are the kids?”

“Oh,” my wife said. “They’re around.”

Suddenly, a four foot tall grim reaper jumped out from behind the counter, while another one landed behind me. “Ninja!” they shouted.

I just about jumped out of my skin.

“We so got you!” they shouted, laughing. “Oh man, did we get you!”

Yes. Yes, they did.

But what they have failed to realize is that Halloween is coming, and they just seriously upped the ante.

P.S. Here are other tales of Ninja vs. Samurai:

• Colonial Ninja (in the paper)
• Nana Ninja
• Shadow Ninja
• The original Ninja (in the paper)